The Ikea in Ashton can be seen from space

He slipped into the entrance and up the escalator. He remembered vaguely that there were some stock changes going on in the kitchen department. Every few months a team of builders would come in and take apart one set of room layouts and replace with another. He’d blagged a cigarette off one of them a couple of days ago. He headed to where the lights faded, and part of the store was cordoned off. Quickly, he slipped past the ‘No Entry’ sign and hid in the dark discomfort of an incomplete kitchen installation.

As the store closed for the evening, his heart began beating heavily; he’d never stayed this late before. From his hiding place he could hear occasional sounds, and could tell as the light dimmed that sections were being closed down for the night. At some point, he relaxed a little, and despite the uncomfortable spot where he was crouching, he began to fall into a fitful sleep.

When he woke, it was sudden, as if something had woken him up. He could see lights and hear shrill noises. Had he slept all night? Surely he couldn’t have. He concentrated. After a few seconds the noises and lights moved away and he was back in near darkness. He got to his feet and moved from his hideaway.

The kitchen and bathroom sections were empty. Perhaps he’d just had a dream. He wondered if he could get out of the building. Walking carefully between the room set ups he headed for the marketplace. As he got nearer he could hear the same shrill noises that had woken him earlier.

He turned the corner and there they were. Though the store itself was still in darkness, they were easy to see, as they illuminated themselves. Two thirds his height at most, and covered in a white glowing material that could have been metal or plastic or something else entirely, he watched astonished as the aliens moved quickly through the market hall, pushing an Ikea trolley that was quickly filling up with their ‘purchases’.

There were four of them in total, the two smaller aliens running around picking up various pieces of homeware that elicited shrieks of differing pitches from the taller ones.

Trying to get a better look, Ray leant heavily against a freestanding bookcase. It gave way, making a loud noise in the echoing quiet of the giant store. The family of aliens turned to where the noise came from. Ray was sure he’d breathed his last. They came towards him. They were right in front of him.

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